Painted Kitchen Cabinet Ideas

Refreshing your kitchen doesn’t require a gut renovation. If your existing cabinets are in good condition, paint them a bold hue, whether a pale blue, a rich black, or something in between, to instantly take the space from cookie-cutter to high-style. A dimly lit room can become inviting and cheery, and an expansive kitchen can feel dramatic and intimate, all with the swipe of a paintbrush. Cabinets can serve as a beautiful contrast to the wall color, or for a cohesive look, try painting both surfaces the same shade. Suzanne Kasler used the same bright blue on the cabinets, the walls, and even the range hood in a kitchen at a Maine compound. There’s also no need to stick with one color. For a kitchen in an English country home, Mark Gillette used three colors, including a soft red on the island and a sky-blue on a chest of drawers.

Another way to add impact is with a high-gloss finish. The black cabinets in a San Francisco kitchen designed by Thomas Britt take the drama up a notch thanks to their shining surface. Painted cabinets can also highlight existing design elements, such as colorful appliances, tile floors, or backsplashes. The green cabinets in a Los Angeles kitchen designed by Commune pair beautifully with the yellow tile backsplash, while gray cabinets in a Bahamas home by Miles Redd let the pale blue painted floor and grass-cloth wall covering be the focus of the space.

If you’re sold on giving your cabinets a transformative coat of paint, but not sure what shade to choose, you’re in luck. We sifted through the AD archives to find our favorite painted kitchen cabinets, from striking eggplant to cherry-red to glossy black. Before you head to the hardware store, read on for some seriously colorful inspiration.